DRUG ABUSE, U.S. ROUTE 422: Acting on growing suspicions, Solon Police asked to see the Home Depot receipt that a Lakewood man was clutching throughout a June 24 traffic stop when they approached his Chevy Suburban and picked up a strong smell of marijuana. They asked him if he had any more and he handed over two bags containing suspected contraband. Upon closer inspection, the receipt indicated he had recently purchased about $120 worth of light bulbs, power outlets, breakers and electrical cords, prompting them to ask if he was running a ‘grow,’ or a clandestine marijuana greenhouse, somewhere. He initially denied this, although police found another receipt for nearly $1,000 from Wal-Mart for equipment such as hoses, thermometers, tape and waste bags, an $800 receipt from a business known as Hydroponics, LLC, along with a copy of High Times magazine with the cover story entitled “Best Grow Rooms of 2011.”

The man claimed he was in construction and just got done helping a friend, although there were no other tools in the car. In addition to seeds and two more bags of suspected marijuana, weighing in at a total of 22.3 grams (less than an ounce), the man was also carrying just under $2,100 in cash. Police said he finally admitted that he had recently rented a house in Bainbridge where he planned to set up a “grow room” to cultivate marijuana. He was charged with a fourth-degree misdemeanor, since the remaining evidence was purely circumstantial at this point. He was also cited for failure to drive within marked lanes while westbound on the highway.

DRUG ABUSE, KRUSE DRIVE: Police responded to multiple reports of someone apparently smoking marijuana in the Liberty Bank parking lot in the middle of the afternoon on June 23, and arrived to find a Cleveland man, 23, sitting in the rear of a tan Dodge Durango, right next to an infant in a child seat. Police could smell the marijuana as well, and other family members came out to the scene shortly, explaining that they had just brought the baby out to the car from a nearby photo studio where they’d been getting portraits done. They also asked the suspect to turn over his marijuana to police, which he did. This constituted a misdemeanor, but police also found an active warrant from the Maple Heights Police Department, leading to his arrest.

UNRULY JUVENILE/MAKING FALSE ALARMS, FRANKLIN DRIVE: Police and firefighters were both summoned after a girl, 17, returned home on the evening of June 21 after having been out all night without permission, then announced to her parents she was packing her things and leaving. A neighbor first called police as yelling ensued, and the girl activated a fire alarm on the way out, resulting in the brief evacuation of two buildings at the Liberty Hills Apartments. Police brought the girl back and she was sent to her room. As police were leaving, a parent came out on the balcony and said the girl was now trashing her bedroom, leading to a disorderly conduct charge and a trip to the county juvenile intake office.

I.D. FRAUD, AYLESHIRE DRIVE: A University Hospitals employee reported June 13 that since the end of May, he had started receiving credit cards for which he had not applied, including Home Depot, Zale’s, Toys-R-Us, Kohl’s and Sears. He also noticed more than $10,000 in bogus charges made in his name. Although he was unsure how someone was accessing his personal information, he pointed out that about a year ago, some co-workers’ personal information had been compromised when somebody hacked into the University Hospitals’ computer, police said, noting that at least one of the charges to his name was made in Iowa.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF, SENECA DRIVE: A resident reported June 20 that she heard an unusual noise outside her house about 10 p.m. and when she went out to investigate, found that a ceramic goose worth $75 had been removed from her front porch area and smashed in the middle of her driveway. Police said they have no known suspects at this time.

UNDERAGE POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL/CERTAIN ACTS PROHIBITED, SOM CENTER/SOLON ROADS: A Solon man, 19, was arrested shortly after 9 p.m. on June 24 at Panini’s where he’d been observed using a fake I.D. to purchase alcohol. Police noted that when they ran the fake I.D., they couldn’t find the suspect in the computer system, leading him to hand over his actual driver’s license.

DRUNK DRIVING, SOM CENTER ROAD: A Chagrin Falls man, 23, was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving about 2:30 a.m. on June 24 as he was approaching Miles Road, where he was also cited for failure to stay in marked lanes, failure to yield and a seat belt violation.

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